Apple is walking into a new market, this time it is entering the smart home IP camera market. Mass production for the same is expected to begin by 2026. Apple is reportedly partnering with Goertek to be its exclusive assembly supplier as Apple is hoping for annual shipment to be around tens of millions. Along with that, it is also planning to strengthen its position in the wearables market, especially with the AirPods.
Although there’s still time before Apple brings out this new product, it is expected that the smart home cameras will seamlessly integrate with the Apple ecosystem, as is the case with its other products. With Apple Intelligence also rolling out, the smart home camera will also come with deep Apple Intelligence and Siri integration. This closely aligns with Apple’s interest in expanding its smart home offerings. Currently, the global IP camera shipments come close to 30–40 million units per year, so it is going to be a highly competitive market that Apple has to navigate.
Other than that, if we speak about wearables, Apple is positioning AirPods as health management devices. Following the success of Apple Watch, AirPods will gain new health-focused features by 2026. This is being done to also rebound the AirPods shipments. Market forecasts project growth from 48 million units in 2023 to as many as 68 million by 2026. For this too, Goertek leads the production and has secured the NPI for the 2026 AirPods model.
The Apple-Goertek partnership suggests that both companies are now on good terms again. Previously, the two-faced issues previously owing to supply issues. Goertek even lost significant Apple orders. Goertek has since stabilised its relationship with Apple, showing normalised supply chain dynamics as of the second half of 2024.
Apple’s current strategy of entering the smart home camera space and its expansion of AirPods’ health capabilities directly showcase its efforts to strengthen its position in both the smart home and wearables market.